Air circulating stove hood

ABSTRACT

A range hood structure including an air intake and an exhaust outlet opening to the exterior of an enclosure in which the hood is installed. The hood structure includes an air pump for pumping air therethrough and has been modified to include a manually operable exhaust outlet closure baffle as well as a selectively openable supplemental exhaust outlet opening into the interior of the enclosure in which the hood is installed for circulation of air within the enclosure.

I United States Patent 1 memes [72] lnventors Charles V. Hike; [56]Referen e Cited L60 W. HikQ, b0"! of Gretna, Nebr. UNITED STATES PATENTSg gg- 331 1969 2,886,124 5/1959 Scharmer .i 98/115 K Paemed June 29,19713,145,643 8/1964 Strouth 98/115 K [73] Assignee James R. Sutton PrimaryExaminerMeyer Perlin Bellevue, Nebr. AttorneysClarence A. OBrien andHarvey B. Jacobson a part interest ABSTRACT: A range hood structureincluding an air intake and an exhaust outlet opening to the exterior ofan enclosure in which the hood is installed. The hood structure includesan [54] i g i f HOOD air pump for pumping air therethrough and has beenmodified aims rawmg i to include a manually operable exhaust outletclosure baffle as [52] US. Cl 98/115 well as a selectively openablesupplemental exhaust outlet {51] Int. Cl l i l l t. F23] 11/00 I openinginto the interior of the enclosure in which the hood is [50] Field ofSearch 98/] 15 installed for circulation of air within the enclosure.

PATENIEUJUN29|97| 3,589,265

SHEET 1 [1F 2 Fig./

, Fig.3

' Charles V. Hike Leo W. Hike PATENTEDJUNZQISII 3.589.266

sum 2 or 2 Charles V. Hike Leo W. Hike INI IL'N'I'UKS Aim(IlllttClULA'llWG STOVE HOOD The air circulating stove hood of theinstant invention has been designed primarily for use in camper bodies,camper trailers, house trailer bodies and houseboat bodies although itis to be understood that the air circulating stove hood may also beuseful in other environments.

When enclosures such as the above-mentioned body struc tures areprovided with range or stove hoods for exhausting cooking odors andfumes to the exterior of the enclosure, the air within the enclosure maybe changed by operation of the blower assembly of the stove hood as thecooking gases are exhausted if a window or door of the enclosure isopened. However, it is sometimes desired to circulate air within such anenclosure without exhausting appreciable quantities of air from withinthe enclosure and thus necessitating the intake of fresh air from theexterior of the enclosure to replace the air which has been exhausted.

As an example, if the enclosure is being utilized in the summertime andif provided with an air conditioner, the galley or kitchen area of theenclosure may be disposed somewhat remote from the air conditioner withthe result that air is not circulated within the galley area. Inaddition, an enclosure being utilized during the winter months may beprovided with heating means which is remote from the galley area andwarm air may not be properly circulated through the galley area.

It is accordingly the main object of this invention to provide a rangehood operable to exhaust cooking gases and heat to the exterior of anenclosure within which a stove or range is disposed and including meansby which the range or stove hood may be utilized to circulate air withinthe enclosure im mediately adjacent the hood.

Another object of this invention is to provide a range or stove hood inaccordance with the preceding object and which may be in the form of aconventional form of range or stove hood which has been only slightlymodified so as to also be adapted for circulating air adjacent the hoodas well as exhausting heat and cooking fumes from above the associatedstove or range.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a range hood inaccordance with the preceding objects and including readily operablecontrols whereby the hood may be readily converted from cooking gasexhausting operation to an operation of circulating the air within theassociated enclosure.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein isto provide a stove hood in accordance with the preceding objects whichwill conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simpleconstruction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will beeconomically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble-freeinoperation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. I is a perspective view of the interior of a pickup truck camperbody illustrating a hood constructed in accordance with the presentinvention positioned over a range top;

H6. 2 is a perspective view of one rear side portion of the camper bodyillustrating the shield over the outlet for the gases exhausted by thestove hood;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse vertical sectional viewtaken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 3-3 ofFIG. ll;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the planeindicated by the section line 4-4 of FIG. 3,

H6. 5 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken subs-antiallyupori the plane indicated by the section line 5-5 of IG. 4; and

"5G. 6 is a perspective view of an L-shaped plate utilized to convert aconventional stove hood into an air circulating hood constructed inaccordance with the present invention.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10generally designates a pickup truck including a load bed 12 upon which acamper body referred to in general by the reference numeral M ismounted. The camper body 14 includes a side wall 16 having an opening 18formed therethrough.

A range hood assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 18is provided and includes a hood assembly referred to in general by thereference numeral 20. The hood assembly includes upstanding front andrear walls 22 and 24 as well as opposite walls 26 and 28 interconnectedby a top wall 30. A generally rectangular housing referred to in generalby the reference numeral 32 is disposed within the assembly 20 andincludes a front wall 33 and opposite sidewalls 34 and 36, the rear wallof the housing 32 being eliminated to form an outlet opening registeredwith the exhaust outlet opening 38 formed in the rear wall 24 into whichthe inner end of a sleeve secured through the sidewall 16 projects. Thehousing 32 includes a bottom wall 42 through which the inlet end of anintake shroud or sleeve 46 is secured and the outlet end of the intakeshroud or sleeve 44 embraces the fan blades 46 which are mounted on theoutput shaft of an electric motor 48 supported from the underside of thetop wall 30. The fan blades 46 and motor 48 comprise air pump means forpumping air through the assembly lid and exhausting the pumped air tothe exterior of the camper body or enclosure M.

A shield 50 is mounted over the outlet end of the sleeve 40 to preventrain or snow from entering the outlet end of the sleeve t0 and a hingedclosure flap or valve member 60 is hingedly supported from the outletend of the sleeve 40 by means of a hinge structure 62 and is normallygravity urged to the closed position illustrated by the phantom lines 64closing the outlet end ofthe sleeve 40.

It is to be understood that the immediately preceding detaileddescription of the assembly 18 refers to a conventional form of rangehood assembly which may be found in various types of camping enclosuressuch as the camper body 14.

ln order to convert the assembly 18 for circulating air within theenclosure 14 in accordance with the present invention, a bowden cableassembly referred to in general by the reference numeral 68 is connectedbetween the closure flap or valve member 60 and the front wall 22 of thehood assembly 20 and provided with a manually engageable knob 70disposed forwardly of the upper portion of the front wall 22 whereby theflap valve member 60 may be readily manually shifted between the openand closed positions illustrated in solid and phantom lines,respectively, in FIG. 3 of the drawings. In addition, an opening 72 iscut in the sidewall 34 and a pair of openings 74l are cut in thesidewall 26. Further, a pair of closure doors 76 are hingedly supportedupon the exterior of the sidewall 26 for swinging between the open andclosed positions illustrated in phantom and solid lines, respectively.The doors 76 are supported from the sidewall 26 by means of hingeassemblies 78 which serve to lightly frictionally resist swingingmovement of the doors 76 and each of the doors 76 is provided with alatch 80 for securing the corresponding door 76 in the closed position.in addition, when converting the range hood assembly 16 into a hoodassembly which may be also utilized to circulate air within theenclosure or camper body M, an L-shaped panel structure referred to ingeneral by the reference numeral 82 is provided and includes anupstanding leg 84, and a horizontal leg 86. The panel structure 82 issecured, in any convenient manner, between the sidewalls 26 and 34 withthe upper end of the upstanding leg 84 secured to the portion of the topwall 30 extending between the front walls 32 and 22. Further, the end ofthe leg 86 remote from the leg 34 is secured to the lower marginalportion of that portion of the rear wall 24 extending between the walls26 and 34. Accordingly, that area between the leg 84 and the rear wall24 and between the sidewalls 26 and 34 above the horizontal leg 86 iscompletely enclosed and the openings 72 and 74 open into the oppositesides of this area.

Of course, when the range hood assembly 18 is to be utilized in theconventional manner, the doors 76 are closed and the flap valve member60 is opened. in this manner, operation of the motor 48 will cause airfrom immediately below the range hood assembly 18 to be pumped throughthe housing 32 and out the exhaust sleeve 40. However, when it isdesired to circulate air within the enclosure, the bowden cable assembly68 is actuated to close the flap valve member so and either one or bothof the doors 76 may be opened. Then, operation of the motor 48 willcause air to be drawn upwardly into the range hood assembly 13 and to beexhausted horizontally therefrom through the openings 74.

It may of course be appreciated from the above description that theconventional range hood assembly 18 may be readily modified inaccordance with the present invention. Further, the necessary componentsto complete the conversion are relatively inexpensive. Also, conversionof the range hood assembly 18 may include the provision of peripheralseals secured to the sidewall 26 about the openings 74 against which theinner surfaces of the doors 76 may seal when closed in order to preventany leakage of greasy cooking fumes outwardly through the openings 74.Further, any suitable means may be utilized to form the necessaryopenings in the sidewalls 26 and 34 during conversion of the range hoodassembly 18 and any suitable means may be utilized to secure the panelstructure 82 in position.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What we claim as new is as follows:

1. in combination with an enclosure, :1 combined circulation and exhaustassembly mounted within said enclosure and including a range hoodincluding upstanding peripheral walls defining a downwardly openingrecess for positioning above a stove or range, said assembly alsoincluding a fan housing disposed within said hood and including adownwardly opening inlet and an outlet opening to the exterior of saidenclosure, a fan structure in said housing for pumping air thercthrough,a first manually operable valve associated with said outlet for theselectively closing the latter, one of said hood walls including anoutlet opening formed therein opening into the interior of saidenclosure, said housing including an outlet opening communicated withsaid hood outlet opening, and a second manually operable valveassociated with said hood outlet opening for selectively opening andclosing the latter, said housing and hood outlet openings being formedin spaoed opposing upstanding peripheral walls of said hood and housing,respectively, said hood including a sidewall portion extending betweenone pair of corresponding ends of said pposing walls and an upper wallportion extending between the upper marginal edge portions of saidopposing walls, and an L- shaped panel including upstanding andhorizontal legs and supported between said opposing walls with theupstanding log of said panel of said sidewall portion and extendingupwardly from said horizontal leg to said upper wall portion and saidhorizontal leg extending from said upstanding leg to said upstandingwall portion and spanning the spacing between the lower marginal edgesof said opposing walls to form a closed passage extending between saidhousing and hood outlet openings.

2. The combination of claim 1. wherein said second manually operablevalve comprises a. swingable closure door door relative to said hood.

d. The combination of claim 1 including a manually actuatable remotecontrol for said first valve, said remote control comprising a bowdencable assembly.

5. In combination with an enclosure, a combined circulation and exhaustassembly mounted within said enclosure and including an air intake and afirst exhaust outlet opening to the exterior of said enclosure, saidassembly including a second supplemental exhaust outlet opening into theinterior of said enclosure, air pump means in said assembly for pumpingair therethrough from said inlet to said first and second outlets, saidoutlets including first and second valve members, respectively, forselectively opening and closing said outlets, said second valve membercomprising a swingable closure door supported from the exterior of saidassembly.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said closure door is swingablysupported from said assembly for swinging in a generally horizontalplane by a hinge structure including means lightly frictionallyresisting swinging movement of said door relative to said assembly. 7

7. The combination of claim 5 wherein said assembly includes adownwardly opening stove hood including upstanding front, rear andopposite side peripheral wall portions interconnected at their uppermarginal portionsby means of a top wall, a downwardly opening housingdisposed within said hood and including upstanding front, rear andopposite side panel portions, said first exhaust outlet opening throughsaid rear wall portion, said air pump means being disposed within saidhousing, one pair of corresponding sidewall and panel portions havingaligned openings formed therethrough defining opposite end portions ofsaid second exhaust outlet, said valve member being supported from thelast-mentioned sidewall portion, and an L-shaped panel secured betweensaid corresponding sidewall and panel portion enclosing the area betweensaid corresponding sidewall and panel portions with which said alignedopenings are registered.

8. In combination with an enclosure including an upstanding wall, acombined circulation and exhaust assembly mounted within said enclosureand including a range hood having interconnected upstanding peripheralwalls and a top wall defining a downwardly opening recess forpositioning above a stove or range with one of said peripheral wallsabutted up against the inner surface of said wall of said enclosure,said wall of said enclosure including a valved outlet opening formedtherethrough, said range hood having an outlet opening formed in oneperipheral wall thereof registered with the outlet opening in saidenclosure wall, a {an housing disposed within said hood and including anoutlet registered with said outlet opening in said one peripheral walland also a downwardly opening inlet, a second peripheral wall of saidrange hood being disposed generally normal to said ra hood peripheralwall having said outlet opening for: therein, said housing including awall portion horizontally spaced from and generally paralleling saidsecond peripherai wall of said range hood and having an outlet formedtherein registered with the outlet of said second peripheral wali, saidhood and housing including means defining a closed air passage extendingbetween the last two mentioned outlets, and a closure door for saidoutlet formed in said second peripheral wall portion.

1. In combination with an enclosure, a combined circulation and exhaustassembly mounted within said enclosure and including a range hoodincluding upstanding peripheral walls defining a downwardly openingrecess for positioning above a stove or range, said assembly alsoincluding a fan housing disposed within said hood and including adownwardly opening inlet and an outlet opening to the exterior of saidenclosure, a fan structure in said housing for pumping air therethrough,a first manually operable valve associated with said outlet for theselectively closing the latter, one of said hood walls including anoutlet opening formed therein opening into the interior of saidenclosure, said housing including an outlet opening communicated withsaid hood outlet opening, and a second manually operable valveassociated with said hood outlet opening for selEctively opening andclosing the latter, said housing and hood outlet openings being formedin spaced opposing upstanding peripheral walls of said hood and housing,respectively, said hood including a sidewall portion extending betweenone pair of corresponding ends of said opposing walls and an upper wallportion extending between the upper marginal edge portions of saidopposing walls, and an L-shaped panel including upstanding andhorizontal legs and supported between said opposing walls with theupstanding leg of said panel of said sidewall portion and extendingupwardly from said horizontal leg to said upper wall portion and saidhorizontal leg extending from said upstanding leg to said upstandingwall portion and spanning the spacing between the lower marginal edgesof said opposing walls to form a closed passage extending between saidhousing and hood outlet openings.
 2. The combination of claim 1 whereinsaid second manually operable valve comprises a swingable closure doorsupported from the peripheral wall of said hood in which the hoodperipheral wall outlet opening is formed.
 3. The combination of claim 2wherein said closure door is swingably supported from said hood forswinging in a generally horizontal plane by a hinge structure includingmeans lightly frictionally resisting swinging movement of said doorrelative to said hood.
 4. The combination of claim 1 including amanually actuatable remote control for said first valve, said remotecontrol comprising a bowden cable assembly.
 5. In combination with anenclosure, a combined circulation and exhaust assembly mounted withinsaid enclosure and including an air intake and a first exhaust outletopening to the exterior of said enclosure, said assembly including asecond supplemental exhaust outlet opening into the interior of saidenclosure, air pump means in said assembly for pumping air therethroughfrom said inlet to said first and second outlets, said outlets includingfirst and second valve members, respectively, for selectively openingand closing said outlets, said second valve member comprising aswingable closure door supported from the exterior of said assembly. 6.The combination of claim 5 wherein said closure door is swingablysupported from said assembly for swinging in a generally horizontalplane by a hinge structure including means lightly frictionallyresisting swinging movement of said door relative to said assembly. 7.The combination of claim 5 wherein said assembly includes a downwardlyopening stove hood including upstanding front, rear and opposite sideperipheral wall portions interconnected at their upper marginal portionsby means of a top wall, a downwardly opening housing disposed withinsaid hood and including upstanding front, rear and opposite side panelportions, said first exhaust outlet opening through said rear wallportion, said air pump means being disposed within said housing, onepair of corresponding sidewall and panel portions having alignedopenings formed therethrough defining opposite end portions of saidsecond exhaust outlet, said valve member being supported from thelast-mentioned sidewall portion, and an L-shaped panel secured betweensaid corresponding sidewall and panel portion enclosing the area betweensaid corresponding sidewall and panel portions with which said alignedopenings are registered.
 8. In combination with an enclosure includingan upstanding wall, a combined circulation and exhaust assembly mountedwithin said enclosure and including a range hood having interconnectedupstanding peripheral walls and a top wall defining a downwardly openingrecess for positioning above a stove or range with one of saidperipheral walls abutted up against the inner surface of said wall ofsaid enclosure, said wall of said enclosure including a valved outletopening formed therethrough, said range hood having an outlet openingformed in one peripheral wall thereof registered with the outlet openingin said enclosure wall, a fan housiNg disposed within said hood andincluding an outlet registered with said outlet opening in said oneperipheral wall and also a downwardly opening inlet, a second peripheralwall of said range hood being disposed generally normal to said rangehood peripheral wall having said outlet opening formed therein, saidhousing including a wall portion horizontally spaced from and generallyparalleling said second peripheral wall of said range hood and having anoutlet formed therein registered with the outlet of said secondperipheral wall, said hood and housing including means defining a closedair passage extending between the last two mentioned outlets, and aclosure door for said outlet formed in said second peripheral wallportion.